A/N: Thank you for your reviews! We hope you enjoy the second installment. Special thanks to hobbittabby and Indigofeathers for their sharp eyes. -TimeTurnerForSale and Ariadne AWS

Full Disclosure

"Severus?" Dumbledore said softly, fearing he would lash out. He had seen Severus in various states over the years, but nothing compared to this – his reaction was beyond any argument, protest or disturbing report.

Severus gripped the edge of the desk and hung his head, hair sliding forward in sections, moving in time with his pounding heart, trembling. His shoulders shook rhythmically, his body betraying the raging firestorm of emotion within.

Ignoring Dumbledore, Severus eased himself back to sit in a chair and tossed the hair out of his eyes. Long strands crossed his forehead, held by a thin sheen of sweat, but he made no attempt to move them. He stared at an ornate piece of woodwork along the edge of the headmaster's desk, concentrating on the meticulous detail, scrolled with perfect precision, its motion rising and falling in orderly, soothing repetition towards the edge, where it had been savagely broken and ripped apart.

Severus opened his hand and stared at the piece of wood. He had no memory of the destruction.

Dumbledore stood, arm still poised in the air from reaching to touch the younger wizard. Slowly, he moved to stand in front of Severus, and leaned back against the desk's edge. A deep sigh escaped him as he shook his head.

"You are human, Severus. Of that, there is no doubt," Dumbledore said. He reached forward, holding out his hand for the piece of wood. "Sometimes - in times like these - we forget that fact."

Severus made no response other than to place the piece into Dumbledore's hand, hating how his own still shook.

Dumbledore's heart broke as he stared at Severus, knowing that his next words could surely earn him Severus' eternal hatred and wrath. But it needed to be done. He placed the piece of wood trim behind him on the desk.

"The kiss, Severus."

Severus' eyes shot up to Dumbledore's face. He shook his head and stood, shoving the chair backwards.

"Severus - "

"No," Severus stated, his arm still outstretched, unmoving, from having flung the chair away.

For a moment Dumbledore wondered if he was going to hit him. Dumbledore did not move.

"I will do what I must," Severus said, desperately. "For you, for Hogwarts, for the Order. But that - that I will not do."

"You must, Severus," Dumbledore said gently but firmly, a whisper of regret in his tone.

"No," Severus said sharply. "That is not yours to ask, nor is it mine to share. That memory - the action, the impulse - those are hers, and even if honor did not forbid me to share it with you, common courtesy requires that you ask her consent."

Dumbledore stood stock still, taken aback less by the refusal than by the authority of the tone behind it. He pursed his lips slowly, then spoke. "I appreciate your scruples, of course, Severus, but - "

"Good. Then the matter is settled." Severus stood before the headmaster and waited.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to try again, but Severus' eyes narrowed.

His voice was quiet but adamant, Severus said, "Headmaster, in times like these, often one must choose to forget that one is human. Often, yes. Not always. Certainly not now."

Dumbledore looked away, and swept his fingers briefly along the broken bit of carving. "If that is your final word on the subject... ?"

"It is." Severus' eyes were hard.

The headmaster sighed, and nodded. "Very well. You give me no choice but to send for Miss Granger." Dumbledore righted Severus' chair with a wave of his wand. "You may stay, Severus, or go, as you wish."

Severus' eyes flicked once toward the door. But after that one glance, he sat, rested his elbows on the arms of the chair, and waited. He did not take his eyes off of Dumbledore.

Dumbledore walked heavily to his desk and looked at the broken wood on its otherwise empty surface. The lightness of the unvarnished rough edge stood out markedly in contrast.

It was pointing straight at him.

After spending several minutes apparently pondering this random placement, he placed a finger on it and turned it, slightly.

With one part of his mind, Severus watched this pantomime; the other was rapidly assessing the protocols on which the Board of Governors would be insisting, probably that very night. He could, he knew, protect Dumbledore's position without compromising secrecy - the headmaster's absence the previous year had been disastrous for the school and for the Order. His own teaching position was more tenuous, but he was fairly certain that their inevitable inquiry would follow a predictable approach. He was fairly certain that he could undermine their reasoning, whatever form it took.

That left two questions.

How had the Board of Governors found out so very quickly that something was amiss at the school? And -

His train of thought was interrupted by a hesitant knocking at the office door.

- and her.

"Please come in, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said cordially, his hand gesturing towards the empty chair. His eyes rested briefly on Severus, gauging his reaction to her presence.

Severus raised his eyes briefly, meeting Dumbledore's gaze with a sharp, penetrating, almost pleading look, before he quickly shoved his hair aside and pushed himself up to stand.

Hermione slowly entered the office. There was no point in pretending that this was not a serious situation, the tension in the office was so palpable, so real. If anger could be conveyed through the air, she could most definitely feel the energy of emotional turmoil. She tried to keep from looking at Severus as he stood, his manners remaining intact even under such pressure.

As Hermione took a seat, Dumbledore said, "Miss Granger, it will not surprise you that I asked you here in connection with the events of earlier. In order to gain a complete account of them, I have viewed much of the incident using Legilimency. However, there remains one final moment."

Hermione shifted in her chair, attempting almost beyond all hope to avoid looking at Severus. To think that he had had to submit himself to Legilimency made her heart seize with sympathy. She had the overwhelming urge to apologize for Ron and Harry, for allowing them to pressure her into it - for everything.

Dumbledore looked between the two of them - Severus, staring resolutely at a indeterminable point somewhere on his desk and Hermione at her own lap. In that moment, they looked like two love-struck students caught out of bed after hours.

"I will need to view that event, and Severus has reminded me that it would be polite to request your permission," Dumbledore said serenely, sensing the tension coming from Severus, whose silence was somehow more disturbing than any amount of shouting he had ever done in the past.

Hermione looked at Dumbledore, startled. She then turned to Severus, who was looking at her intently, a crease in his brow.

If she'd had to guess, she would have said he was pleading with her to refuse.

"Miss Granger, I must insist. It is important for me to have the entire story in order to properly handle this situation with the Board of Governors," Dumbledore said, forcefully softening his voice despite the urgency of the matter. He leaned forward and looked down at his desk for a moment.

Severus rose with a sudden rustle. A sweep of his robes trailed across the back of Hermione's chair as he passed, without a word, to the window, where he stared silently, either out into the night or at his own reflection in the glass.

Dumbledore took a steadying breath, watching as Severus tilted his head down, as if awaiting his fate.

"Headmaster, I understand," Hermione said carefully, not looking at Dumbledore, but rather at Severus' suddenly stiffened back, "but, if I may ask that you use my memory instead of Professor Snape's? It would make more sense to see it from my point of view, since it was I who - well..."

Dumbledore watched as Severus turned his head slightly, then, relaxing a fraction, continued his vigil at the window. In the reflection, however, Dumbledore could see Severus' eyes slip closed in what small relief could be found in such chaos.

"Very well, Miss Granger. If you are sure?" Dumbledore asked, rising to came around his desk, his wand held tightly in his hand.

Hermione nodded, unsure whether she was supposed to stand or sit when submitting to Legilimency. She looked toward Severus, almost hoping he would turn around and look at her, anything.

Suddenly, in a clear voice, Severus said, "You had better do it quickly."

Dumbledore looked up, startled.

Severus turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. "Because they're here."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, as if this news were no surprise. "Severus, please alert Minerva and have her join us. I believe it is her right as Head of Miss Granger's House to be present."

Severus nodded and strode towards the Floo.

Hermione's mind raced. She tried to relax, but found herself gripping the arms of her chair. An expanse of black fabric flew past her view as she looked up at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stepped in front of her, and said in a soothing but hurried voice, "Miss Granger, we must do this quickly. Please concentrate on the event so that I may view it easily. Try not to resist."

Hermione nodded and watched as Dumbledore waved his wand slightly and whispered, "Legilimens."

Immediately, it became all too clear to Hermione why Severus must find being subjected to Legilimency repulsive. The feeling of someone in your thoughts, even someone she trusted as much as Dumbledore, was incredibly disturbing, and the loss of even a small fraction of control instilled a deep-seated, primal fear. Shoving her instincts to flee aside, she did her best to relax, to push the memory to the forefront of her mind, and to keep her emotions locked away.

She resolutely ignored the fact that her pounding heart mocked her attempts at deception. Dumbledore could surely hear it…

Dumbledore leaned closer and concentrated on moving quickly without causing her too much distress. He felt her efforts to remain calm and to offer up the memory for his inspection. Almost immediately, the image of the Potions lab swam to the surface of her mind.

He saw Severus raging at Harry and Ron, ordering them to go to Minerva's office and await him there. From Severus' face, he knew he had never seen him so upset – he was beyond coherent words – it was pure rage.

Dumbledore watched through Hermione's eyes as Harry and Ron left the room. Then the view was confused. As the two boys left the room, her field of vision swung suddenly around, and he was again met with Severus' face: mortally pale, his chest rising and falling from what had been, undoubtedly, the scare of a lifetime full of horrors.

Dumbledore saw Severus' eyes fall on Hermione and soften immediately.

"Miss Granger, I apologize-"

Dumbledore's heart sank at Severus' tone - a tone he had never heard him use, or even thought him capable of. It contained deep regret. Concern. The fact that Severus had used that tone of voice with her immediately after a near-catastrophe spoke volumes, volumes that Dumbledore would have preferred not to read.

The headmaster felt Hermione's emotions welling higher at the knowledge that Severus had just saved not only their own lives, but those of most, if not all, of the castle's inhabitants. She evinced no anger at the methods Severus had used to draw Harry away – Harry, yelling that he'd have Severus fired by daybreak. Dumbledore felt only her gratitude, and her shame at her friend's actions - even as she hurriedly fixed her clothing.

Dumbledore watched as she approached Severus, the change in his face, and then the kiss.

And Dumbledore knew - he could feel it. This was not a spur-of-the-moment expression of gratitude, caused by adrenalin. This was something that had been held back – shuddering on the edge of control – now loose to crash through any and all barriers – a response to something so deep, so powerful that it could not be ignored.

Dumbledore tried to remain objective, but he could scarcely ignore the ignition of passion between the two of them. It was as if they had been both awaiting this opportunity. Something breaking down - overriding - forcing their admission, if only in one gesture, for one sweeping moment.

When the words "I love you" raced through her heart and out of her mouth, whispered against Severus' lips, Dumbledore knew that this was no simple schoolgirl's crush - it was too real – too well-worn. Miss Granger had loved Severus for some time before this night.

And from Dumbledore's experience viewing Severus' memory, he knew the feelings were not entirely one-sided.

Dumbledore released the spell and watched as Miss Granger blinked and turned her eyes up to his.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she said shakily.

Dumbledore didn't respond other than to nod gently. He closed his eyes slowly, struck with the complicating realization that to allow either one of them to testify using a Pensieve memory would be utterly disastrous.

Hermione turned to find that Severus had once again taken his seat next to her. Professor McGonagall was standing next to Dumbledore's desk, wringing her hands fretfully.

Severus was watching her intently, his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," she said again, this time to Severus.

As a knock came at Dumbledore's office door, Severus gave his head the slightest possible shake, as if to say he was not.